Health
FG Donates Free Anthrax Vaccine Doses to Lagos
By Adedapo Adesanya
The federal government, through the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (FMARD), has donated 50,000 free doses of Anthrax vaccines to the Lagos State Government (LASG) to mitigate the spread of the Anthrax Disease to animals and humans and ensure the safety of the livestock sub-sector.
Speaking during the courtesy visit to the state’s Ministry of Agriculture recently, the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, Dr Ernest Afolabi Umakhihe, represented by the Deputy Director of Veterinary and Pests Control Services, Dr Abdulkareem Durosinlorun, said that donation of the vaccines would fast track the vaccination.
He stated that anthrax, an infectious zoonosis disease caused by bacteria, affects both domestic and wild animals and can also affect humans, especially those working closely with infected animals.
He pointed out that the bacteria, which exist as spores, can be found in the soil, wool, or hair of infected animals.
He added that animals can be infected when they breathe in or ingest spores in contaminated soil, plant, or water. And humans can get it when they inhale or breathe in the spores, eat contaminated meat, or come in contact with the skin through wounds or cuts while handling a sick or dead anthrax-infected animal.
Dr Umakhihe appealed to the Lagos state government for robust public awareness and sensitization engagement among stakeholders towards prevention and control of the disease in the state.
In his words, “The essence of our visit is to create awareness and sensitization among stakeholders in the prevention and control of disease in Nigeria.
“We have also provided 50,000 free dosages of the Anthrax vaccine to the state in collaboration with the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) of the United Nations.
“The cattle merchants and butchers need to know the symptoms and signs of this disease so that they can immediately alert the veterinary authorities, he added.
He emphasized the need to mount surveillance in slaughter slabs, abattoirs, livestock markets, and at the point of entry in the state to detect the disease early before it spreads.
In her remarks, the Permanent Secretary, Lagos State Ministry of Agriculture, Mrs Ibironke Emokpae, appreciated FMARD for its support in curtailing the spread of the disease in the state, saying, “Vaccinations have begun in the state, and we have set up surveillance and biosecurity at point of the entire of abattoirs in Lagos to detect any ailing animal.
“We are collaborating with the Lagos Ministry of Health and promise to put in more efforts to prevent the spread of the disease,”
Mrs Emokpae further revealed that “Lagos State has developed a house-to-house vaccination campaign because it is an urban area where some people do urban farming. Lagos State is taking the vaccination campaign to urban livestock farmers’’.
While on a sensitisation visit to the Oko-Oba cattle market and abattoir in Agege, the Chairman Miyetti Allah Cattle Association, Mr Abdullahi Lalega, pledged the commitment of the Cattle Merchants and Butchers towards the fight against the disease.
He affirmed that they were aware of the disease and would ensure adherence to safety measures, promising to give all necessary support to ensure that the disease is curtailed.
On his part, the FAO Country Team Leader, Dr Otto Muhinda, commended the state government for its initiatives in creating awareness of the disease and prevention measures.
He added that “We have seen that the awareness is very high; we appreciate the way the people, local authorities, butchers, and the cattle merchants are aware of this outbreak.”
“We look forward to continuing the monitoring in other states, and we need to sensitize more stakeholders on the national level for a national strategy to stop the spread of the disease.’’
By Adedapo Adesanya
The National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA) says the number of Nigerians enrolled in health insurance has risen to more than 22 million.
The Director-General of NHIA, Mr Kelechi Ohiri, said this resulted from the implementation of the mandatory health insurance, which has gained momentum nationwide.
He said this on Wednesday at the Annual General Meeting of the Nigerian Association of Insurance and Pension Editors (NAIPE) in Lagos.
Mr Ohiri said enrolment had increased to 22.03 million, representing a 35 per cent year-on-year growth, attributing this to stronger collaboration with state social health insurance agencies, ministries, departments and agencies, organised labour, employers, the private sector, and the gradual implementation of the mandatory health insurance provisions of the NHIA Act.
He said that the country had moved beyond policy formulation to delivering measurable improvements in healthcare access, service quality and consumer protection in line with the federal government’s health sector reform agenda.
According to him, Nigeria already has the necessary policies and legislation to achieve Universal Health Coverage, positing that the key challenge was effective implementation.
“The decisive variable is now implementation- consistent, rigorous and accountable execution that converts political commitment into healthcare access for real Nigerians,” he said.
Mr Ohiri said that the transition from the former National Health Insurance Scheme to the NHIA had strengthened regulation, consumer protection, accountability and strategic purchasing, while providing the legal and operational framework for achieving Universal Health Coverage.
He added that improving the experience of enrollees remained central to the Authority’s reform agenda.
According to him, NHIA has strengthened its complaints management system, introduced faster resolution timelines, and intensified compliance monitoring of Health Maintenance Organisations (HMOs) and healthcare providers.
He further added that NHIA had sanctioned facilities that failed to meet the required standards, adding that his organisation had resolved 3,878 complaints, representing an 87 per cent resolution rate, while 95 per cent of the cases were concluded within prescribed timelines.
Mr Ohiri noted that more than N14.2 million had been refunded to enrollees, while non-compliant healthcare facilities had been sanctioned.
He said NHIA had also introduced service standards, including a one-hour treatment commencement target for enrollees requiring urgent care, to improve access to timely and quality healthcare services.
The NHIA boss further disclosed that capitation payments to healthcare providers had been increased by 93 per cent.
He said fee-for-service reimbursements rose by 378 per cent to enable providers to invest more in personnel, equipment and infrastructure.
According to him, 7,592 healthcare facilities have been assessed under the SafeCare quality framework as part of efforts to institutionalise continuous quality improvement across the country.
Mr Ohiri also highlighted interventions targeted at vulnerable groups, including support for more than 48,500 pregnant women, expanded maternal and newborn healthcare services, the Vulnerable Group Fund, and improved access to healthcare for pensioners and retirees.
He said Universal Health Coverage could only be achieved if every Nigerian, regardless of income or location, had access to quality healthcare services.
By Modupe Gbadeyanka
The new one-hour authorisation response time ultimatum policy introduced by the National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA) has received the full backing of SUNU Health Nigeria Limited.
This policy was introduced by the agency to ensure enrollees get prompt approval codes to access care.
Healthcare service providers have been urged to report any Health Maintenance Organisation (HMO) that violates this initiative through an email, with the HMO in copy and a timestamp attached as evidence of the request. They may proceed to offer services to enrollees thereafter.
Speaking at the company’s second-quarter Providers’ Forum for the Lagos-Ogun region in Lagos recently, the chief executive of SUNU Health, Dr Moyosore Olomola, expressed optimism that this policy would improve healthcare delivery in the country, especially for enrollees, who crave quality service.
At the event themed Improving Quality and Access to Care Through Stronger Provider Network, and held at the Nigerian Institute of Medical Research (NIMR) in Yaba, Lagos, Mr Olomola reaffirmed the HMO’s commitment to operating within legal and operational frameworks to guarantee adequate care for enrollees.
“Access to care and quality of care remain key priorities in our healthcare systems. We know quite well that deliberate collaboration, strategic partnerships, and a shared commitment to excellence are required to achieve these priorities.
“A strong provider network is doubtless the backbone of any effective healthcare system. It ensures that our mutual enrollees receive the right care, at the right time, in the right place, and at the right price,” Mr Olomola, represented at the programme by the organisation’s Chief Operating Officer (COO), Dr Faith Nwachi, stated.
He further assured that SUNU Health would strictly adhere to the one-hour authorisation limit, stressing that this aligns seamlessly with one of the organisation’s core values—promptness and its corporate slogan, Humanity is the centre of our initiatives.
In a bid to further improve access and quality of care, SUNU Health also demonstrated its new operational software and Mobile app, aptly named SUNU Legacy.
Also speaking at the event, the NHIA Lagos State Coordinator (Ikeja), Dr Bethuel-Kasimu Abraham, noted that the forum’s expected outcome is to significantly reduce delays in accessing medical care.
Other key expectations include ensuring continuity of care, improving patient outcomes, and strengthening accountability among HMOs.
Addressing specific pain points faced by enrollees, the NHIA Ogun State Coordinator, Mr Dare Adefeso, acknowledged that the agency had received complaints regarding out-of-stock drugs and the discrimination of enrollees by certain providers.
He affirmed that the NHIA is actively addressing these issues, stressing that moving forward, every facility must ensure enrollees are properly catered to regardless of their status, provided they have an active health insurance plan.
Corroborating the long-standing legacy of SUNU Health, the Ogun State Director of the National Orientation Agency (NOA), Mrs Aishat Tiamiyu, shared that her agency is responsible for public information dissemination and has been enrolled with SUNU Health for over 25 years.
Commending the HMO’s stellar service over two decades, she called for the immediate enrollment of new NOA staff into the scheme.
The Providers’ Forum remains one of the strategic channels employed by SUNU Health to consistently engage healthcare providers, understand their operational challenges, introduce new software updates, and solidify partnerships aimed at fostering premium healthcare delivery across Nigeria.
By Aduragbemi Omiyale
The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has announced the recall of a sexual enhancement product known as WAP Sensual Enhancement Capsules.
In a statement on Monday, the Nigerian agency disclosed that the recall is due to “undeclared pharmaceutical ingredients” in the product, whose country of origin is unknown, but is marketed and distributed online in the US through eBay.
It was emphasised that the recall is being “voluntarily” made by the manufacturer, Best Supplements Best Prices Company.
The detection of the undeclared pharmaceutical ingredients was made by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
Laboratory analysis by the US FDA revealed that the product contained undeclared sildenafil, tadalafil, and flibanserin, which were not mentioned on the product label. Such substances may include phosphodiesterase type-5 (PDE-5) inhibitors or related compounds commonly used for the treatment of erectile dysfunction, the statement by NAFDAC stated.
Sildenafil and tadalafil are ingredients in FDA-approved prescription drugs used to treat erectile dysfunction.
It was noted that these undeclared ingredients may interact with nitrates found in some prescription drugs, such as nitroglycerin, and may lower blood pressure to dangerous levels. Consumers with diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, or heart disease often take nitrates.
Flibanserin is the active ingredient in an FDA-approved prescription drug used to treat low sexual desire in women. Flibanserin can cause drowsiness, sedation, dangerously low blood pressure, and fainting, especially when combined with alcohol.
Consumers have been encouraged to report compromised products (medicines or medical devices) to the nearest NAFDAC office, call 0800-162-3322, or send an email to sf******@********ov.ng.
